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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26072452">Wandering Twilight &amp; Flame</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/madandimpossible/pseuds/madandimpossible'>madandimpossible</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/madandimpossible/pseuds/tinybluewitch'>tinybluewitch (madandimpossible)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adorable Jester Lavorre, Adventure &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Beauregard Lionett &amp; Caleb Widogast Friendship, Bodyguard, Caleb Widogast-centric, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jester Lavorre-centric, Jester is Caleb's cleric bodyguard and we love her, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Past Torture, Pining, Pining Caleb Widogast, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, The main pairing will be Widojest, but this will feature Beauyasha as well</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:53:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26072452</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/madandimpossible/pseuds/madandimpossible, https://archiveofourown.org/users/madandimpossible/pseuds/tinybluewitch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifty years ago, a mysterious creature known as the World-Eater manifests in the Moleasmyr Ruins. After years of carnage, the Cobalt Soul and the Cerberus Assembly discover how to defeat the creature. Only a magic user of great power can conduct the ritual and bear the ultimate sacrifice to bring peace back to the land.</p><p>Every ten years – the World-Eater returns and the ritual must be completed once more. Caleb Widogast and Beauregard Lionett are nominated for the pilgrimage. To their surprise, a cleric conscripted by the Ceberus Assembly joins them.  Her name is Jester Lavorre. </p><p>And she’s going to change the world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beauregard Lionett &amp; Yasha, Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Jester Lavorre &amp; Caleb Widogast, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Fifty years ago, an otherworldly being known as the World Eater entered our realm. Its shadow brought a Blight across the land. Cities fell, crops failed, and the world as we knew began to crumble. We tried to fight it with siege weapons, with magic, with armies, and mercenaries from across the sea.</p><p>It wasn’t until the combined effort of the Cerberus Assembly and the Cobalt Soul that we discovered a way to neutralize this Demi-God. Only a magic-user of great power could conduct the ritual and bear the sacrifice to banish the Fiend back to the Realm of whence it came. </p><p>We had ten years to rebuild, to heal, before the World Eater returned.</p><p>The Cerberus Assembly and Cobalt Soul nominated their brightest and strongest to make the journey to the Ruins of Molaesmyr.</p><p>This cycle has plagued our Empire for the past thirty-nine years.</p><p>Today is the first day of Horisal, New Dawn. It marks the official tenth anniversary of the Fiend’s banishment. We know its return is imminent.</p><p>Today, a man by the name of Caleb Widogast prepares for the journey to the Ruins of Molasemyr with his companion, Beauregard Lionett.</p><p>And to their surprise, a cleric conscripted by the Cerberus Assembly will join them.</p><p>May the Gods watch over them…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, yeah, this is like - I took some inspiration from Skyrim, Dragon Age, and a little bit from A song of ice and fire (you will see in later chapters why). I'm calling this an AU/AU canon divergent because yes, it's Caleb, yes it's Jester, but SOME THINGS have changed on account of the Big Bad.</p><p>I will be using the world of Wildmount as my playground and will try my best to keep within canon (where applicable, such as locations), but I will get crafty with NPCs and suchlike. It's my fic so...i get to make the rules. &lt;3 Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Conscripted Cleric</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The seagulls cried overhead, mingling with the sound of gentle waves and citizens speaking in Common – sailors shouting orders, merchants discussing their wares, the steady trot of feet on the cobblestone or wooden planks. Caleb inhaled a long, deep breath. He had only been in Nicodranas for a week when the letter arrived. Their ship would leave in the morning once Beauregard, himself, and their cleric were aboard.</p><p>Beau cracked her knuckles, looking pissed-off, which wasn’t uncommon for his surly friend. They had been outvoted when it came to the Assembly's decision to add another member to their traveling party. He and Beau had worked together for years. Not always on the same projects, as he was with Cerberus, and she with Cobalt Soul, but when Caleb was nominated to take the pilgrimage – they asked him to choose one companion from either the Assembly or Cobalt. If he did not choose, then someone would be selected for him.</p><p>His decision had been easy.</p><p>“Two people is a lot less conspicuous than three.” Beau said, watching the docks as sailors unloaded crates and barrels and they waited for their mysterious third member. Nicodranas was filled with travelers and merchants. It was the dawn of a new year. Yet, there was an anxiety beneath the surface with every passing glance. Their success would save the world. Their failure would doom it.</p><p>It was no pressure at all.</p><p>Caleb took another deep breath and Frumpkin, perched on his shoulder, purred loudly.</p><p>The council formed between the Assembly and the Cobalt Soul argued that the roads would be even more unsafe once the Demon/Demi-God/He-With-Many-Names appeared. It was not uncommon for creatures to suddenly crawl out from caverns and caves to attack travelers. It also wasn’t uncommon for bandits and thieves to start taking advantage of travelers and refugees once the ten-year mark came around. Many mages before him had made this journey, those who succeeded gave the world a little more time to breathe, and those who failed…well…they were not often included in the history books.</p><p>Since Caleb and Beau weren’t healers, the council decided that a cleric would need to accompany them. It was pragmatic, he supposed. They were funding this pilgrimage and it would be a waste if he and Beau died to some Kobolds or Harpies while traveling.</p><p>“I know, Beau.” Caleb folded his arms across his chest. “But there is nothing we can do. The ship won’t leave without the three of us on board.”</p><p>Beau cut him with a glance.</p><p>“I wasn’t suggesting we bail without him.”</p><p>Caleb scratched Frumpkin under the chin, “You were thinking it.”</p><p>She scoffed. He expected her to flip him off then, but her hands remained curled at her sides.</p><p>A blue tiefling skipped across the docks, toward them, wearing a smile and a green cloak. Caleb expected her to bounce on past. She did not. She stopped just a few feet in front of where he was standing.</p><p>“Uh?” Caleb blinked, then looked to Beau, for support, over the tiefling’s shoulder. Beau shrugged. Very unhelpful. His lips pulled into a frown.</p><p>“Hi!”</p><p>He stared at her.</p><p>“I’m Jester.” She stuck out her hand. He did not take it.</p><p>Beau sidled up beside Jester, “Uh. Hi. Can we help you with something?”</p><p>“Oh!” Jester’s smile grew wider, “I’m supposed to be meeting <em>Cay-leb</em> and <em>Beauregard</em> here!” She glanced between them, “I assumed that was you guys because you’ve got the Cobalt Soul colors and you’ve got a cat.” She pointed to Frumpkin, “No ordinary cat would have eyes like <em>that</em>. So, it must be a magic cat, right? Also, you’ve got those robes and I usually see wizards in robes. And you’re both like just standing here obviously waiting for someone and that someone must be me, right?!”</p><p>“Uh…” Was all Caleb could say.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait.” Beau put her hands up, her expression incredulous, “<em>You’re</em> the cleric?”</p><p>“Yup! I’m pretty strong, too!” She flexed her arms up, fangs flashing in her toothy smile. The sunlight reflected from the ocean around them and illuminated all the jewels decorating her fingers and the silver chain dangling from her horn. Yet, the brightness they created could not compare to the light of her smile.</p><p>It was effervescent. <em>She</em> was effervescent.</p><p>Caleb felt his mouth go dry just looking at her. <em>Come on, now. </em>He scolded himself. <em>You have seen plenty of pretty smiles. She is here to work with you. </em>He looked away from her.<em> You are here on a mission – the lives of millions of people and animals are relying on you. Don’t get distracted and don’t be foolish. Being foolish can get you killed. </em>His jaw tensed, the next words coming into his mind like an afterthought, <em>remember your vows. Remember the oath you made to the Cerberus Assembly.</em></p><p>“Wow.” Beau nodded, “I thought they were gonna stick us with some crotchety old man. Nice to meet you, Jester. You can call me Beau, this is Caleb. You ready to go?”</p><p>Jester brought her hands up, covering a fist with her palm, “Yes!” Then her focus was back on Caleb, “Can I pet your cat?”</p><p>Caleb shook his head slowly and turned around to walk up the gangplank.</p><p><em>Gut. </em>He said to himself, hurrying over to the captain, <em>we can finally be on our way. </em>He could hear Beau talking to Jester behind him, but he did not pay it any mind. The sooner he got into his room the better. There were scrolls he needed to read, maps to go over, and his journal – he needed to write in his journal. He needed to study the arcane writings in his book. There was so much to be done.</p><p>The captain crossed his burly, thick-haired arms over his equally stocky chest, “Aye, we’ve set aside rooms for yah. The lasses will be sleeping in their own, while you’ll be sharing with a few of my men. The trip won’t be long. Two days I most, assumin’ the winds are kind to us.”</p><p>“Great.” Caleb nodded his head, “Thank you.”</p><p>He gave one last, lingering look at the sparkling sea. When he had first seen it, it had been so incredible. An Endless, terrific blue. It awed and humbled him. Perhaps, in another life, he would’ve been just a farm boy who never left home. Instead he is here – standing on the dock of a ship – about to embark on a journey with the fate of the world in his hands. Right. Work to be done.</p><p>Caleb dodged past the crew pulling at ropes and shouting at one another and stowed himself away in the sleeping quarters below.</p><p>“Right then.” Caleb closed the door, pulling a thin silver wire from his coat and tracing it along the door frame. The energy, the magic, he felt it <em>clunk</em> into place. Satisfied, he pulled free the books from his holsters and climbed into the bed.</p><p>He opened his spell book first, propping it against his legs, and rested his back against the small wooden headboard. The sigil before him was a difficult one to decipher. He recognized the glyph for <em>security</em> and his fingers traced the air. It was a non-offensive spell. Something he had been working on for several weeks in preparation for the travel that he and Beau – and now Jester – would make.  </p><p>He closed his eyes for a moment and let the rocking of the boat as it pulled away from the docks clear his mind. This is what he needed. Peace and quiet. It would’ve been impossible to try and study while on the bow of the ship with everyone moving about. He trusted that Beauregard would not disturb him.</p><p>The creaky, wooden door threw open and his mind <em>pinged </em>with the alert of his spell. His eyes flew open, spell book fell toward his chest and laid against his thundering heart.</p><p>“Hey, Caleb!”</p><p>Jester stood, wide-eyed in the doorway. He swallowed, curling his hand, and dismissing the firebolt that was burning inside his palm.</p><p>“Jester…” He cleared his throat, eyes dropping to the hem of her dark skirt, “I – I’m sorry. You startled me.” He lifted his eyes up and found that she was grinning. How…<em>odd</em>. His brow furrowed as he looked at her. Wasn’t she afraid? Or was she just very, very good at hiding it?</p><p>Jester shrugged, her tone completely neutral as she spoke, “It’s alright. I probably should’ve knocked first. A bunch of the crew were going to play cards and I came over to ask if you wanted to come play with us? Me and Beau are going to. We could be a sneaky trio!” She waggled her eyebrows, “We could split the pot so that if one of us wins, then we all do, yeah?”</p><p>“Ah.” He pressed his lips together in a line, “No, thank you. Thank you for offering, but no. I am fine.”</p><p>Jester invited herself right into his room. His eyebrows shot upward, and he instinctively squished his body closer to the headboard, as if he could reduce the amount of space he was taking.</p><p>“What are you doing?” She leaned forward, her knees pressing into the side of his mattress, and Caleb had no choice but to look up at her. His hands felt strangely sweaty as he pressed them on the back of his spell book.</p><p>“I am just –“ He swallowed, his throat as rough as sandpaper, “Reading.”</p><p>“Oh!” Jester’s head tilted, the little silver chain on her horn dangled and lightly touched the dark blue curls that framed her face, “Anything good? Anything <em>diirty</em>?” She wiggled her eyebrows again. Her smile was wide and wicked, and Caleb’s heart threatened to beat straight out of his chest.</p><p>He exhaled something close to a laugh. “No. Not – not this time.”</p><p>Jester flopped down onto his bed and sat near his feet, “Wait – really? What do you read?” Caleb stared at her. If he shifted his leg, then the toes of his foot would touch her hip. Did the closeness not concern her? Or bother her? Did she forget that he had a ball of fire in his hands <em>literally</em> seconds ago?</p><p>It took his mind a moment to catch up to her question.  </p><p>“All sorts of things.” He said, “History, journals, fiction—and yes, that includes the dirty ones.” He licked his lips, “You – ah – you read as well?”</p><p>Jester nodded enthusiastically. “I do! I spent a lot of time reading when I was growing up, you know?” She tilted her body closer, the front of her cloak brushed against the tops of his knees, “I especially like the smutty ones. So, if you’ve got any smutty books hidden away, Caleb, you better share them with me, okay?” With that said, she pushed herself off the bed and his eyes followed her as she left.</p><p>He blinked.</p><p>“Fuck.” He said, softly, to the rumpled blanket where she had been sitting.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Jester: *exists*<br/>Caleb: 404.RUNTIME ERROR. CALEB.EXE HAS STOPPED WORKING.</p><p>Hehhe.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Twilight Market</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The two days travel to Port Damali was blessedly uneventful. Not that Beau expected anything. It would’ve been kind of cool for a pirate attack or <em>something</em>. Their cleric, Jester, was bubbly and inquisitive to the sailors on the ship.</p><p>Beau wasn’t sure how she’d end up getting along with her and Caleb. (Speaking of – Caleb had hidden away in his room and didn’t even join them for breakfast). That wasn’t weird, though, for him. There had been half a hundred moments over the years where Beau found him with his nose buried in a book, or slumped over his desk, half-asleep, or dodging mealtimes in favor of understanding a spell book or myth or <em>whatever</em>. She was <strong>not</strong> his fucking caretaker. But she did recognize when he was burning the candle at both ends and wasn’t afraid to grab him by the scruff of his purple coat and haul his ass outside.</p><p>Some of her favorite memories where when she dragged Caleb to some sticky-floored tavern and got him drunk with her. <em>We should try to get drunk one last time…</em>She thought, a little wistful, before shoving the melancholy thoughts away.</p><p>“Hey, Jester!” Beau called out, waving her over.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Have you ever traveled out this way before?”</p><p>“Nope.” She popped the letter ‘p’ as she said it. “I’ve never left Nicodranas before.”</p><p>Beau frowned as the wheels in her mind turned. They gave her and Caleb a cleric without any navigational knowledge? Okay, okay, that probably wasn’t <em>fair</em>. It wasn’t uncommon for folks to stay around their hometowns. It didn’t mean that they saddled her and Caleb with someone unable to do their job.</p><p>Although, there was a paranoid part of her mind that <em>wondered</em>….it’s not like the Assembly had any love for Caleb. Not after what happened with Trent Ikithon. She sighed.</p><p>Jester had to have been selected for a reason.</p><p>“What, like ever?”</p><p>Jester shook her head, “My friend Fjord tells me things, though. He’s a sailor. He’s been <em>all over</em> the world!” Beau didn’t miss the way Jester’s eyes lit up at the mention of this Fjord-guy. Her hands squeezed around the wooden railing of the ship, eyes focusing back on the incoming docks.</p><p>“How did you get selected to come with us?”</p><p>Jester’s smile went wide, “It’s actually a pretty funny story.”</p><p>Beau raised her eyebrow, “Oh yeah?”</p><p>Jester recounted the tale in vivid detail: Her mother, Marion, was the Ruby of the Sea and had entertained a guest of the Cerberus Assembly. Jester had only meant it to be a harmless little prank when she tricked him, disguised as her mother, and locked him outside wearing naught but a pair of pantaloons and a girdle.</p><p>The mage, drunk and infuriated, launched a fireball to break open the door and knocked himself unconscious. Jester, witnessing this, climbed over to her mother’s on-fire balcony, and Blinked them both to safety, and brought the mage back to consciousness.</p><p>“He said he was impressed with my deception <em>and</em> my healing abilities.” Jester’s tail flicked, “But, he was also like <em>super</em> annoyed about the whole thing. He said that I could either be imprisoned or I could join in the upcoming pilgrimage to the Blooming Grove.” She shrugged a little, “I chose this. Obviously.”</p><p>Beau’s eyes flickered over Jester’s shoulder where Caleb had joined them.</p><p>“Who was it?” He spoke up from behind her and Jester startled, spinning around—</p><p>“Hasn’t anyone told you it’s rude to sneak up on people?” She asked with a playful tilt of her head. She followed up the movement with a shrug, “He didn’t tell me his real name. As you can imagine, my Mama’s business is known for its discretion.”</p><p>Caleb’s brows pinched together, and Beau <em>knew</em> the look. Inquisitive yet quiet, the I’m breaking-things-down look, but not-going-to-ask-questions-yet look. He pressed his lips together, turning away, as the ship slowed and began to dock.</p><p>“Well.” Beau clapped her hands together to break the tension, “Let’s just hope the rest of this journey is as easy as this boat ride.”</p><p>“Unlikely.” Caleb muttered under his breath.</p><p>“Are we heading straight to the Grove?” Jester asked, adjusting the strap of her bright pink bag on her shoulders.</p><p>“Not exactly.” Beau said as she led the way down into the city, “We have to travel through the Cyriops Mountains, stop at Pride’s Call and Rexxentrum, and <em>then</em> we can high-tail it to Blooming Grove.”</p><p>“All <em>before</em> the Fiend manifests.” Caleb added, a cloud of doubt crossing his stormy blue eyes. That was the tricky part about dealing with some sort of demon from another dimension. He or It <em>always</em> showed up around the ten-year mark. But no one really could say when. It wasn’t an exact science. It was magic and fate and sometimes shitty luck.</p><p>One time – it had manifested the day after the new year. It wrecked so much havoc that the Assembly and the Cobalt Soul had sent in entire units of men and women to try and hold it back until the ritual could be completed.</p><p>Beau just had to hope that their luck would be just a little better than that. <em>Just give us enough time to gather the components for the ritual. </em>She pulled her arm around Caleb’s shoulder to shake him out of his doom-and-gloom expression.</p><p>“Hey, if all else fails, I can always punch the fucker in the nose.” She lightly punched Caleb under the chin, “Pop, pop!”</p><p>“We don’t know if it even has a nose, Beauregard.” Caleb countered with a slight smile. She slid her arm away from his shoulders and then shrugged at Jester, who was following behind them, her eyes wide and taking in all the sights of a familiar, yet foreign costal town.</p><p>“Still - I haven’t met any entities that I haven’t been able to punch.”</p><p>Jester’s eyebrows went up, “What about ghosts?”</p><p>Beau’s reply was cocky, “I’ve punched ghosts.”</p><p>“Really?! That’s so cool!” She fell into step beside Beau, “Do you think we will have to fight ghosts?”</p><p>“I have no clue what we’ll be up against.” She replied honestly, “Could be ghosts. Could be flying fishmen. Who the fuck knows?” She glanced at Jester again, “Hey, how much did they tell you before you accepted this gig?”</p><p>“Ohhh, <em>you</em> <em>know</em>.” Jester kicked a pebble at her feet as they walked, “The usual! It’s life-threatening. Very dangerous. Don’t let anyone die! Or we’ll put you in jail. That sort of stuff.”</p><p>On her other side, Beau heard Caleb wince under his breath.</p><p>“They have given you a death sentence all the same, then.” He said and Beau groaned-<em> this motherfucker…</em></p><p>“Ignore him!” She waved her hand, “It is dangerous, that’s true, but I’m a badass and Caleb can hold his own and you said you were pretty strong, right?”</p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p>“Then we’ll be fine.” Beau said, keeping her tone and posture confident, “Besides, since the Assembly decided to throw a wildcard cleric at us, I’ve got a wildcard of my own.” She grinned and caught Caleb glance at her from the corner of his eye.</p><p>“Like…<em>besides</em> punching ghosts?”</p><p>Beau pressed a finger to her lips, “It’ll be my secret till we get there.” She looked around the extravagant, colorful docks of Port Demali, at the sailors and dockhands moving about carrying crates of goods and wares, the bright colorful ribbons streaming from rooftops and sail masts. Then, remembering that Jester hadn’t seen any of this, “Hey! We should stay the night and see the Twilight Market.”</p><p>As expected, Jester’s eyes lit up and her lips parted in a gasp.</p><p>“Beauregard…” Caleb’s voice was solemn, but she wasn’t about to let him bring the whole party down. “We are on a schedule.”</p><p>“Staying one extra day won’t throw off us off schedule. Besides, we still gotta get horses and stock up before we hit the mountains.” She looked to Jester, “We could vote on it. All in favor say – Aye.”</p><p>“Aye!” Jester’s reply was immediate.</p><p>“Aye.” Beau grinned at Caleb. He rubbed a hand over his face.</p><p>“Ja, ja. Fine. One night.”</p><p>Beau and Jester high-fived.</p><p> They spent the afternoon arranging for horses for the morning and securing rooms at a small, yet comfortable inn located just outside the Gilded Esplanade. At the first touch of dusk, the light blue-sky bleeding into lilac, Beau led the party out into the noisy marketplace.</p><p> The pathways were multicolored, crafted with stones from the ocean and seashells, creating a luminescent and mosaic effect. Dyed silks of every color were draped across the wooden posts of stalls, peddlers announced their wares in loud cries – mostly in Common, but Beau heard a few arguing in Dwarvish or Halfling. Ribbons, beads, streamers, dangled from ropes, attached from one building to another. The air was thick with the smell of roasting meats, spices, and tobacco.</p><p>Alongside the din of voices, they could hear the steady pound of drumbeats, the high call of flutes, and the rhythmic strumming of guitars. This place was a place of color, of music, and <em>vibrancy</em>. Of life. Beau kept her eye out for pickpockets.</p><p>“Whoah!” Jester pointed to two halflings, one standing on the other’s shoulder, as they juggled fruit between them. Beau watched with an amused smirk as she tipped them a piece of silver into the floppy, wide brimmed hat at their feet. “That is very cool, you guys!” Jester said, giving the duo a thumbs up, “Could you juggle like <em>knives</em> and stuff?!”</p><p>The halfling on top shook his head, his mustache dripped with sweat despite the cool, salty nighttime air that surrounded them. “I like my fingers too much to try, miss.”</p><p>“I’ll give you a gold piece if you try right now.” Jester said, then she looked over her shoulder at Beau and Caleb, “Hey, do either of you have any daggers with you?”</p><p>“I have some throwing stars.” Beau offered.</p><p>Jester made a face. Her lip jutting outward ever-so-slightly in a pout before she shrugged, smiled, and said: “Oh well! Maybe next time!” The pair of halflings looked incredibly relieved when Jester turned away. They returned to the flow of moving citizens, through the crowded and energetic streets, stopping whenever someone saw something of interest.</p><p>“Holy shit!” Beau pulled the group over to a stall where a live scorpion was trapped inside a cage, laid out among other crawling-animals. There were spiders in jars and vials in the back of which she assumed were venom or acid.</p><p>“I ain’t got time for browsers. Either buy or leave!” The elven shopkeeper said with a curl to his lip. His silver eyes narrowed with disdain at their group. His copper skin was lined with intricate, black tattoos, that trailed from the back of his neck and up to his temple.</p><p>Beau glared at him, “How do you expect to do any business with an attitude like that?” She felt Caleb’s hand touch her shoulder.</p><p>He folded his arms across his chest, flexing the muscle there, “I do my business just fine. Piss off!”</p><p>“I feel like you could be nicer to us.” Jester chimed in, “I bet we could totally be <em>friends</em>.”</p><p>The shopkeeper’s fine, angular features suddenly went taunt and suspicion rose inside his grey eyes.</p><p>“<em>You little shit.” </em>He said, in Elvish, to which only Beau understood. She looked at Jester, who was still grinning benignly and trying to <em>talk</em> to him about his ‘cute little scorpion friend’, and then back to the irritated merchant. She noticed the tenseness of his jaw and the dangerous gleam of a short sword on his hip. Not to mention the literal <em>collection</em> of venomous creatures that surrounded him.</p><p>Beau extended her hand to reach out for Jester, to pull her away from the scorpion’s cage and the increasingly pissed-off shopkeeper – but then Caleb’s voice cut through the brewing tension.</p><p>“Jester!” She looked over at him, and Caleb tilted his head little to the side, “I see a stall with books. You were interested in getting some books for the road, Ja?”</p><p>Was it a trick of the light or was Caleb Widogast <em>blushing</em>? He tucked his face away into the collar of his robes, quickly turning away for them to follow. Jester fell into step behind him, her hands clasped behind her back, and Beau lifted her middle finger at the merchant before walking away.</p><p>He copied the gesture. “Dick.” Beau muttered under her breath, then, because – fuck it. “Dick!” She shouted before letting the crowd converge around her and joining up with Caleb and Jester.</p><p>“Hey, Jester, just quick question – did you try and do something to that guy?” Beau asked once they were out of earshot.</p><p>“Oh!” Jester gave a little shrug, “I just tried to make him <em>nicer</em> to us.”</p><p>Beau recalled the suspicion in the elf’s eyes, “He called you a little shit.”</p><p>“Is that what he said?” Jester didn’t look impressed. At all. “That’s boring. I’ve been called <em>waaay</em> worse. There are like a hundred more colorful and interesting insults he could’ve come up with. He’s uninspired <em>and</em> rude, I guess.”</p><p>Beau laughed easily.</p><p>Caleb drifted over to a stall decorated with bright orange ribbons. A row of books were lined up on the counter. His fingertips touched the worn spines of the books and then he was speaking to the merchant in his soft Zemnian accent. Jester hovered just near his shoulder and Beau wanted to laugh again.</p><p>It had taken her <em>years</em> to get Caleb comfortable with physical closeness. The first time they hugged had been an awkward encounter. But she recognized that her friend had made great strides. Unexpectedly, a hot flash of anger went through her as she recalled the reason <em>why</em> Caleb was so...difficult, at times, with touch. The anger churned in her stomach. It made her feel restless. </p><p>“I need a drink.” Beau announced, she laid her palm against the countertop, “Hey, do you know any good places for a drink around here?” She asked to the woman behind the stall. Her dark hair threaded with silver was arranged in looping braids that piled on top of her head. She looked down her half-moon spectacles perched on her long nose at Beau.</p><p>“Anywhere, my dear.” She lifted a bony hand at the marketplace, “But, I suggest heading closer to the auction house. They often sell food and drink for the Festival of Lights.”</p><p>At their expressions, she lifted her thin shoulders in a shrug, “Lanterns and magic lights. To herald the new year.”</p><p>“That sounds so cool!” Jester’s hand grasped Caleb’s shoulder, “We can go, right?”</p><p>Beau smirked as Caleb sputtered his words, “Y-yes. Yeah. Why not? We are here to see the Twilight Market after all.”</p><p>Jester returned her attention to the tomes and journals and carefully picked one up. “The Banshees I have loved.” She flipped through the pages, “Is this a romance book?”</p><p>“No, it is a play.” The woman said with a sniff, “A <em>tragedy</em>.”</p><p>“Do you have any romance books?” Jester asked, then Caleb piped up –</p><p>“Or magical tomes? Anything of that nature?”</p><p>Beau leaned her hip against the stall, her attention moving between Caleb and Jester, and then to the crowd to keep a look out. She didn’t expect trouble to find them. But, hey, you never could be too careful. Not when they already made an enemy of an elven man with a pack of spiders and scorpions.</p><p>“Hm.” She pursed her lips, puckering the lines that surrounded her aged face. She hunched over her collection, “I have this one. At the Heart of The Runes.” She handed a teal-colored book to Caleb, an impression of a sigil stamped onto the front.</p><p>He leafed through the pages, which from where Beau was standing, didn’t look like it was in Common.</p><p>“This is written in Celestial?” His brows pinched together.</p><p>“Whoever wrote it, they wrote it in Celestial. But whoever made those notes in the margins…that’s Infernal.” She replied, lowering herself back down onto her wooden chair, “A very odd book. It’s two hundred and fifty gold.”</p><p>Beau very-nearly choked on her own spit and Caleb put the book back down, “Thank you.”</p><p>“That is very expensive for a book without any kissing in it.” Jester said, looking over the books once more, “What about the smutty books? Do you have any of those?”</p><p>A small smile graced the woman’s features, “Let me check.” She stood and turned away, shuffling through the books that were stacked behind the stall on top of a wooden crate.</p><p>“Ah, here we are.” She placed the romance novel on top of the rest of the book, Beau leaned in for a closer look at the cover – it depicted an orchid-skinned tiefling in a loose-fitting blue dress in an amorous embrace with a bare-chested, dark haired male. The tiefling had one leg hooked over the man’s waist as she was perched on a rocky wall of a crumbling stone-castle. His mouth was at her throat. The title: <em>For Ruin and Romance </em>was scripted across the front.</p><p>Beau did not see the appeal, but Jester looked excited.</p><p>“How much?!”</p><p>“Fifteen silver.”</p><p>“Deal!” Jester passed over the coin and then tucked the book away into her pink backpack. “Caleb? Did you want to get anything? Maybe she has some other novels?”</p><p>The woman drummed her fingers on the counter, “I’ve got a fine book on potion making. I’d even give it to you for fifty gold.”</p><p>Caleb shook his head, “No, it’s alright. Let’s go before we miss the lights.” He glanced over Jester’s head, meeting Beau’s eyes, “Beauregard is looking <em>hangry</em>.” He teased with a slight lift to his mouth.</p><p>Beau threw both hands up in front of her, “We haven’t eaten since breakfast because <em>someone</em> decided we needed to go <em>all the way</em> to the stables and secure our horses before the morning.”</p><p>Jester laughed behind her hand. Caleb looked down at her and then away – sliding his hands into the pockets of his robes and once again leading them off into the crowds. As they got closer to the famous Auction House, there were more food and drink stalls, just as the book woman had said.</p><p>Beau ordered herself a crab and rice bowl, seasoned with salt and lemongrass. She sat cross legged on the ground, away from the crowd, and shoveled the food into her mouth.</p><p>She watched Caleb and Jester as they stood a few feet away, not speaking to each other, just looking at the sky and waiting.</p><p>The first lantern was launched into the night sky. Then, another. Until it was a trail of floating golden-yellow lanterns began to illuminate the sky. They poured out from different directions and floated well above the rooftops. She watched as they become smaller and smaller as they glided up and turned into specks of orange light among the stars. It was really fucking beautiful. It looked like something painted out of a dream. A dream of starlight and magic.</p><p>The entire marketplace illuminated with shimmering and warm light. </p><p>Caleb lifted his arm. She already knew what he was doing.</p><p><em>Whoosh.</em> Four globules of light, identical in hue to the lanterns above, suddenly appeared around him and Jester. He moved his hand, almost lazily, and the lights orbited around himself and Jester.</p><p>“Caleb!” She clapped her hands together in front of her chest, “That’s so neat! Can you send them into the sky?”</p><p>“Perhaps not as high as the lanterns, but yes.” Came his reply. Beau finished her bowl and set it beside her, leaning back on her hands and watching her friend with a smile on her face.</p><p>The orbs of light that Caleb created began to drift upward to join the rest of the lanterns.</p><p>“Oh! Oh!” Jester bounced on her heels, “Wait, I have an idea!” Both her hands flew out and there was a shift in the wind as she cast <em>something, </em>and Beau’s grin spread wider.</p><p>Inside the lanterns that were closest to Caleb and Jester, the tiny flames that kept them afloat suddenly changed color to a bright, cotton-candy pink. The color remained until they reached about thirty-or so feet above their heads, and then they winked back to their natural orange-yellow glow.</p><p>“Tada!” She wiggled her fingers at Caleb.</p><p>He perched his fingers under his jaw, “That is pretty good.”</p><p>“I know, right?” Jester laughed and brought her gaze over to Beau, “We should try and find some pastries! It’s always a good idea to have pastries for the road.”</p><p>Beau stood, grabbing her staff, and securing it behind her back, “I’m not sure if Port Demali has pastries. They seem to just really like eating fish and crabs and uhh—"</p><p>“And octopus.” Caleb chimed in, his eyes on the vendor behind Beau that boasted about their fried squid and fried octopus dishes.</p><p>Jester wrinkled her nose. “Well, in Nicodranas, they had these <em>amazing</em> bear claws. They were so good. We should at least try and find some while we are here!” She touched Caleb’s elbow, gave his sleeve a gentle tug, “Come on! It’s still early.”</p><p>Caleb looked at Beau, “What do you think?”</p><p>Beau shrugged, “I still gotta find some ale. So, let’s keep going.”</p><p>“Yes!” Jester fist-pumped, her skirts swishing as she spun around and dragged them both into the thick crowds of the hectic marketplace.</p><p> “Nicodranas should do something like this.” Jester said as they walked, “We have lots of stores and stuff but <em>nothing</em> this neat.” She gave a pointed look to a half-orc who was doing a handstand on a barrel while people circled around and cheered. Nearby, a woman was painting someone’s face a myriad of bright colors.</p><p>“You lived in Nicodranas your whole life, right?” Caleb asked.</p><p>“Yeah!” Jester smiled, “Don’t get me wrong, it’s really cool, and like everyone is super nice, and there are definitely more bookstores there and they probably wouldn’t charge you something crazy like two-hundred gold for a book. I would’ve totally gotten that book for you, Caleb, because like my mama gave me some money for this trip, you know? But she did not give me <em>that</em> much.”</p><p>Beau caught the way Caleb nervously rubbed the back of his neck and skirted his gaze down and away from Jester. <em>Holy shit, Widogast.</em> That was easily the second or third time she caught him trying to avoid looking at Jester. What the hell was going through his head? What was he so jumpy for? It wasn't like the little blue cleric was <em>scary</em>. At least, not yet. Nothing she had shown off had been the least bit scary at all in Beau's opinion.</p><p>“Ah, t-thank you, Jester, that is a very kind thought.”</p><p>“Yeah, Jester.” Beau came up and nudged Caleb with her elbow, “That’s really sweet of you. You barely even know us.”</p><p>Jester shrugged, “I am a very good judge of character.” She said with so much confidence that Beau found herself smiling.</p><p>“Ja.” Caleb cleared his throat, “I could believe that.”</p><p>“And besides,” She continued on, with that bounce to her step and that smile on her face, “The whole point of this journey is for us to get stronger, right? If that book could help you get better, Caleb…” She caught her lower lip between her teeth, fangs poking out, “Maybe we should go back and haggle it?”</p><p>“Jester. You – you are…” He cast his gave heavenward, as if the fading lanterns and starlight would hold answers, “Please do not worry about it. It is alright. There will be other books.”</p><p>“Caleb’s right.” Beau said, “Plenty of books are scattered around the world. Let’s focus on finding some pastries.”</p><p>They did not find any sweet pastries. They did find plenty of savory pastries with crab inside, or fish, but they mutually agreed that traveling with fish pastries would be a bad idea. Jester also refused to let her backpack smell like fish for the rest of the journey.</p><p>On their walk back to their inn, they discovered a vendor that served roasted pork and shrimp skewers, glazed in honey, and garnished with warm and earthy spices. And there was ale, too. They walked and ate and talked. It was mostly Jester and herself that did the talking, but Beau didn't mind it. Caleb tended to slip into these moments of quiet contemplation. That was just who he was.</p><p>It was a nice way to finish off their day. The morning would bring them to the long road and their journey would truly begin then.</p><p>But there was still something Beau needed to do before she turned in for the night.</p><p>She stopped Caleb before he could enter his room.</p><p>“Hey, man, are you alright?”</p><p>“What?” His eyes went wide, “What do you mean? Of course, I am.”</p><p>“<em>Caleb</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Beauregard</em>.”</p><p>They caught themselves in a stubborn staring contest. Downstairs, the patrons of the inn began to quiet down for the evening and whoever had been playing music abruptly stopped. They both ignored a small group of fishermen as they walked past in the hallway to their rooms.</p><p>Beau snorted, “Alright. I’ve just noticed you’ve been a little twitchy since we got into port. I wanted to check on you. That’s my job, right?”</p><p>“Your job is to ensure that we reach the Molaesmyr ruins safely.” His gaze was steady. Level. She checked his hands and they weren’t shaking.</p><p>“Yeah, and the only way to ensure <em>that</em> <em>happens</em> is to also make sure that <em>you’re</em> okay.”</p><p>“I am okay.”</p><p>She kept staring at him.</p><p>Another tense moment passed.</p><p>“Alright.” Beau shrugged, “See you in the morning then.”</p><p>“Goodnight.” Caleb opened his door and closed it softly behind him. Beau stood in the hallway for a few seconds and chewed the inside of her cheek.</p><p><em>Well, if he doesn’t want to talk about it. I’m not going to make him.</em> She walked down the hall to her and Jester’s room.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I want everyone to know that I randomly used a generator for the NPCs and kept whatever the site created. It gave me an elf with an advantage against Charm spells. So, it was kinda fun to roll &amp; see if Jester would succeed or not at the spell. Obviously – she failed and that’s why the merchant was like *angry react* &gt;:(</p><p>But, idk, it’s been a fun thing for me to do while writing. Makes an interesting challenge, for sure.</p><p>Was I thinking of Tangled when I wrote the lantern scene? MAYBE. MAYBE SO. MAYBE SO. It was fun to write Beau watching Caleb just be like [flustered] the whole time. lmaoo.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Pest Control</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They took time to ensure they were supplied and stocked before they journeyed from Port Damali and planned to follow the rivers through the mountains. Once the nervousness had faded away, Jester was left with only awe and excitement. She was really doing it! She was traveling the world like she always wanted. And sure, it <em>wasn’t</em> with Fjord, but that was okay. Because she was getting to travel with new people! She would have so much to tell Fjord when she came back.</p><p>She liked her companions, so far. Beau’s sense of humor was right up her alley.</p><p>The wizard, Caleb, was much quieter than Beau. They acted how a brother and sister would interact but, she did not <em>think</em> they were related. First of all, they looked nothing alike, Caleb had an accent where Beau did not, and their last names were different. <em>Maybe one of them is adopted? </em>Stranger tales had been woven.</p><p>“Are you guys related?” She asked them on their second day of traveling as they were watering their horses.</p><p>“What?!” Beau laughed, “No. Caleb is just the unlucky bastard whose put up with me for these past years.”</p><p>Caleb was still crouched by the river filling his waterskin with slight breeze ruffling his copper toned hair, “She’s very forceful with her friendships.”</p><p>Beau folded her arms and smirked, “It’s true.”</p><p> That evening, Jester drew Caleb for the first time inside her sketchbook. She used a mix of brown, red, and orange to capture the various, melting shades of his hair that he kept away from his face with a tie at the nape of his neck. It was really a lovely color. Especially in the setting sunlight when the world would turn molten gold and the sky would <em>glow</em>. She idly wondered what Caleb’s hair would look like with a little braid in it or hanging loose about his shoulders. Maybe someday she’d have to draw it. It would be a good challenge.</p><p>Her tongue poked the inside of her cheek. Then, with a slight flourish to her movements, she added four balls of light around him.</p><p><em>Just like the night at the Twilight Market</em>. She recalled his struck-with-wonder expression after she had used Thaumaturgy on the lanterns. No one had ever looked at <em>her</em> like that before. Her stomach did a strange little flip and she curled her toes inside her boots.</p><p>That had been such a <em>simple</em> cantrip, too. It barely scratched the surface to all the cool stuff the Traveler had shown her. Yet, Caleb had stared at her all the same. Then his expression had cooled, as if someone had pulled a veil over him. Still present, still amused, but…<em>quieter</em>. He reminded Jester of a hermit crab scuttling back into its shell.</p><p>She glanced at her companions. They were fast asleep, of course, and trusted her to keep watch. The responsibility was daunting, and exciting, and thrilling, and so – so <em>much</em>. It was all <em>so</em> <em>much</em>. She would have to send a message to her mama soon. She couldn’t tell her all about the market with only twenty-five words at her disposal with the spell, but she’d figure something out. Maybe the Traveler could teach her something new. A limitless word-spell would be ideal.</p><p>Jester tucked away some of her colored pencils and grabbed different set.</p><p>She drew the mountainside, rocky and gray and foreboding as it loomed around them in this river-valley. In the night, they were nothing more than dark, ominous shadows that nearly blended into the starlit canopy that sparkled above them. But, during the day, the snowy caps glistened like diamonds in the sunlight and the ridges of the rock weren’t <em>just</em> gray. No. They were charcoal lined with rust, speckled with white and pearl, the minerals on the surface casting a shimmer of glitter when the sun was high.</p><p>Once or twice while she was on watch, she worried that she had seen something out of the corner of her eye.  It was <em>obviously</em> <em>nothing</em>, of course. A little restless, Jester moved on from drawing the mountains and went to draw something else. Something fun and silly.</p><p>Jester sketched Beau slamming her staff down on a goblin’s head, a swirl of azure and cerulean around her. In the drawing of the goblin, his eyes are comically large, and his tongue is poking out while lollipops float around the goblin’s head. Jester stifled a giggle.</p><p>They hadn’t faced any goblins. And she didn’t <em>know</em> if they would face any out here. Beau mentioned while on the road that it was possible that they could run into <em>anything</em>. Yet, the journey had been uneventful. Maybe they were really, really lucky. They’d reach the Blooming Grove in no time at this rate.</p><p><em>The sooner this is over, the sooner you can go back home.</em> Jester smiled to herself, <em>and you’ll tell Fjord all about <strong>your</strong> adventures. He’ll be like soooo jealous. Because all he does is like fight giant squids or whatever in the ocean and--</em></p><p>Two things happened at once:</p><p>Caleb shot upright form the ground, his tone panicked, “Jester!”</p><p>One of the horses let out a screaming cry of warning and reared up on its hind legs. Jester lunged to her feet, her eyes blinking and searching in the dark.</p><p>“I’m up!” Beau shouted, shoving goggles over her face. In the same moment - globes of light burst forth and illuminated the campsite. Four small yet horrible looking creatures flew around their horses. They had long legs ending in sharp pincers and needle-like noses dripping with blood from where it managed to catch one of their steeds.</p><p>Three out of four creatures turned their attention away from the horses and Jester raised her shield as one flew into her face.</p><p>“Agh! Gross!” The creature ricocheted from the shield and Jester called upon the magic within her, “Stay away!” She cast Hellish Rebuke, watching as the frosty-cold burst forth from her shield, snowflakes drifting and melting away in the mild air. The creature was either too small or too quick because it managed to avoid the hit. The grass turned to frost, and thin icicles dangled from the branches of the tree they had camped by.</p><p>The glow, generated by Caleb’s lights, peaked through the membranes from its wings.</p><p>“What are these things!?” Jester glanced over at Caleb and Beau.</p><p>The next one dived to attack Caleb. He luckily ducked out of the way before it could strike him with its long, weird looking nose.</p><p>“Stirge!” Beau answered grabbing her staff, “They’re <em>pests</em>.” As if on reaction to Caleb being divebombed, she spun her staff in her hand and swung at the Stirge. But her arc went wide and missed.</p><p>Beau grunted in frustration.</p><p>“Don’t let them bite you.” Caleb said, his face serious, “They will drain your blood and who <em>knows</em> what kind of diseases they carry.”</p><p>“We <em>really</em> should have brought bug spray, huh?” Beau said with a smirk on her face and a slight shake to her head as she ducked out of the way of the third Strige’s attack. “This is the shittiest camping trip ever.”</p><p>The last Strige made a pass at one of the horses, but the horse jolted up on its hind legs again and Jester didn’t see any blood get drawn. She <em>really</em> didn’t want to lose any of their horses. Especially not Pumpkin. Like <em>come on</em>. She just got that horse.</p><p>“Hey!” She pointed at the creatures, “Leave Pumpkin alone!” Bright, swirling pink energy circled around her fingertip and a gust of air burst around them as her spiritual weapon came to life.</p><p>The lollipop drew back and then swung forward, cracking into the tiny Strige creature with such <em>force</em> that it splattered to the ground with a wet sound.</p><p>Jester moved closer to Caleb and Beau. The Stirge flew in a circle around them.</p><p>“Hold still!” She shouted before she launched a bright, radiant blast of flame-like energy at one that was flying around on Caleb. She did not want Caleb or Beau to have any of their blood drained by these weird bat-mosquito creepy -things.</p><p>The creature erupted into hot-white flames and went spiraling down to the ground, smoldering lightly, before the breeze snuffed it out.</p><p>“Damn, Jester!” Beau whooped, “Nice work!”</p><p>Jester beamed at the praise, “I <em>told</em> you I was strong!”</p><p>There’s a moment as Beau centered herself, before taking a few steps back and then using a nearby rock outcropping to vault and swing her staff in a downward arc toward the Strige that was harassing them. The staff cracked loudly as it hit the ground, squishing the Stirge and splattering – what Jester can only call ‘<em>bug guts</em>.’</p><p>“Caleb? You want the last one?” Beau asked as she drew back to her full height, her wrapped hand extending to the last Stirge.</p><p>“No,” his lips quirked slightly, “If this doesn’t work out, you could have a future in the exterminator business.”</p><p>Beau snorted before swinging her staff upward to catch the final creature – but it dodged out of the way in the last second, “Son of a bitch!”</p><p>Caleb lifted his hand and not for the first time – Jester contemplated why his hands were bandaged. It wasn’t like he was a monk like Beau. He muttered something under his breath and the tip of his finger glowed for a moment before a mote of fire blossomed and shot forward toward the Stirge.</p><p>The creature illuminated, brighter than the dancing lights, and its wings beat hurriedly to try and flee or escape the flames. But it was pointless <em>and</em> hopeless. The Strige burned up in a flare of orange and gold and flickered out until it was no more than ash on the breeze.</p><p>“Well,” Beau wiped her palms on her pants, “That could’ve been worse.”</p><p>“Those creatures are not known for their resilience.” Caleb said, taking a step away from Jester, and she self-consciously looked down at her skirt and cloak – did she have blood or guts on her or something?</p><p>“We were lucky there weren’t more of them.” He said.</p><p>“Always looking on the bright side, huh, Widogast?” Beau said with a light smile.</p><p>“Are you okay, Jester?” Beau then asked her, setting her staff against the tree trunk.</p><p>“Yeah. Are you guys? I can cure you.” She lifted a hand to touch Caleb’s shoulder, but he moved again, returning to where his bedroll was and turning his face away from her so she couldn’t see it. That was weird. Maybe Caleb was weirder than she originally thought.</p><p>‘<em>Come now, my dear. I thought you </em><strong>liked</strong><em> weird’. </em>The Traveler’s voice said in her head.</p><p><em>I do. </em>Jester mentally stuck her tongue out at the Traveler. <em>He’s just being weird, and I don’t know why.</em></p><p><em>‘Perhaps he just doesn’t like bugs.’</em> The Traveler said with a teasing lilt to his voice.</p><p>“I don’t think they managed to hit any of us, but we should check the horses.” Beau said and Jester followed her. They were stamping their hooves and breathing heavily through their nostrils, their eyes wide and panicked. They whinnied when Beau and Jester came near.</p><p>“Hey, shh, shh, you’re okay! You’re okay.” Jester cooed. She placed her hand on the thick, muscled neck of the beast, and there was a faint gleam of blood caught in the light of Caleb’s spell. Jester closed her eyes, letting magic and power course through her, and the bleeding ceased as the wound closed. “See? All better.”</p><p>Jester placed a kiss to the wet snout of her horse, Pumpkin.</p><p>“Hey, how’s your book?” Beau asked as they returned to camp. Caleb dismissed most of his lights, and only one remained, and it was dim – just enough to provide light as he read his spell-book. Jester sat right next to him and was pleased that he didn’t try to move away again. Maybe the Traveler was right. Maybe he just didn’t like bugs and the encounter had shaken him.</p><p>“Oh, it’s <em>very</em> good.” Jester replied with a toothy grin, “The main character, her name is Yennefer, and she’s going to be wed to this stuffy old Lord, but she doesn’t <em>want</em> to marry him. She’s an astrologer and one night, as she studies the stars, she gets this like – omen or something in the sky – that tells her to go to this castle that’s been like empty for hundreds of years or whatever.” Jester waved her hand, “She goes, and she meets this man-“</p><p>“Let me guess, it’s the buff guy on the cover.” Beau said as she rested her elbows against her knees.</p><p>Jester nodded.</p><p>“Yes! It’s his castle and a witch has placed a curse on it making it inhabitable unless he gives her his firstborn. So, Yennefer agrees to help him as long as he agrees to keep her hidden from her stupid fiancé.” She sighed, “It’s all <em>very</em> romantic. They are like totally in love and just making out all the time.”</p><p>Caleb paused in his reading, shifting his gaze to Jester, “How would they find the time to break the curse if they are – as you said – ‘making out all the time’?”</p><p>Jester pulled the book from her bag, “I dunno, Caleb.” She leaned closer to him, raising both her eyebrows, “Do you want to read it together and find out?”</p><p>She caught the slight quirk of his lips. Yet, he did not smile.</p><p>“No, you finish it. I’ll read it after you.” He glanced down at his spell book, then back up to Jester, “Just let me know what you think of it, Ja?” His blue eyes returned to his book and to the glyphs and writing that Jester did not understand. She watched his side profile, at his long eyelashes, dusting against his pale cheekbones – he really was pale, wasn’t he? He didn’t have any freckles like her. In the steady, luminescent dim glow that hovered nearby, she could see the faint shadow of reddish-brown stubble on his jaw and upper lip. She watched as his lips moved unconsciously – probably reciting some words to some spell or translating something.</p><p>Beau yawned loudly, “Turn off the light when you’re done.” She flopped back down onto her bedroll and draped her arm over her eyes.</p><p>Jester tore her attention away from the mysterious, quiet wizard sitting beside her and opened her book.</p><p>
  <em>Yennefer looked tearfully at the salty cliffside as she watched the waves crash into the slick, black rocks. The grass was damp beneath her bare feet. She did not hear Gawain as he approached her and wrapped his strong, muscular arms around her waist. “Fear not, gentle flower.” He said to her ear, “We will overcome this trial and the next. Whatever storms the Gods throw at us. We will endure them, together.” He spun her around in his grasp and took her jaw between his large, calloused hands. The hands of a worker, a fighter – not a soft prince who had never held a sword. “For I love you and I would move the heaven and the earth for you.”</em>
</p><p>Jester sighed softly as she read, one hand idly twirling a curl of her hair between her fingers. A habit that she hadn’t shaken despite passing through adolescence and childhood. The romance between Yennefer and Gawain was <em>magical</em>. He was so loyal to her. So strong and romantic and determined to ensure that she was happy.</p><p>She glanced back over at Caleb’s spell book.</p><p>“What is that?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“The symbol there.” Jester reached out, her fingertip touching the parchment and ink and the glyph painted upon it. She had hoped to feel <em>something</em>. A spark. That’s what magic books did, right? But disappointment nagged at her. It felt like paper. No spark, no magic. “It kinda looks like a butt. Two butts squished together.” Her brow wrinkled as she looked at it, her lips lifting to a light smile.</p><p>“Ah,” Caleb worked his mouth, “I’m still figuring it out. I believe this is –“ She followed as his finger traced a shape. He had nice hands even hidden behind soot-stained bandages. His fingers were long. She never really looked at someone’s fingers before.  “Home.”</p><p>“You’re making a home?” She tilted her head at him, “Your magic is really different from mine, huh? I don’t need any books. The Traveler just teaches me stuff. I ask him like – oh hey, Traveler? Can you teach me how to look like an old lady? And he’s like oh, of course, Jester! You’re so powerful and talented. Boop-Boop-De-Boop!” She wiggled her fingers for effect, the gemstones on her rings sparkling in the light, “Bam. New spell.”</p><p>Caleb’s eyes were touched with amusement.</p><p>“The Traveler is the deity you worship?”</p><p>Jester’s expression screwed tight, “<em>No</em>. He’s my best friend. I don’t worship him like I don’t give him gold or anything.” She let out an exasperated sigh,  “It’s not like that. We’ve known each other for like <em>ever</em>.” She prepared herself for the inevitable brush-aside that people always gave her when it came to the Traveler. Mama didn’t think he was real. She just believed him to be an imaginary friend that Jester continued to believe in. But he was <em>more</em> than that. Someday, Mama would believe. Everyone would. Her almost-completed pamphlets were tucked away in her bag. She’d sprinkle them throughout the world and show everyone what a cool and fun God/Best Friend she had.</p><p>Caleb’s eyes narrowed a little, his lips pursing, a pensive look drawing across his features. Jester swallowed. Caleb was looking at her again. Like he did in the Night Market with the lanterns. He was really looking at her. There was openness to his expression and curiosity, too. She didn’t see that aloof, resigned look that her Mama would take on when Jester talked about the Traveler. She could feel her pulse jumping inside her throat.</p><p>“Does the Traveler not take offerings from you then? Because it is– as you said – a friendship.”</p><p>“<em>Weeeeeell</em>.” She drew the word out, elongating it inside her mouth, “Mostly, I do different kinds of pranks. He appreciates that.”</p><p>Caleb’s eyebrows raised, a soft “Oh,” falling past his lips.</p><p>“So, what you’re saying, Jester Lavorre, is that you will likely get us into some trouble while on this journey?” A brief touch of a smile played at his mouth. The humor softening his face and crinkling his eyes at the corners. It reminded Jester of the sunrise touching dew-speckled grass. The first touch of warmth on a cold, autumn day while the world woke up.</p><p>“Maybe.” She teased, nudging her shoulder against his, “Good thing you’re stuck with me, huh? It would be so dumb and boring otherwise. You’d probably like fall asleep while walking because it’s <em>so</em> boring.”</p><p>“Ja. A good thing.” She held his gaze until he returned it to his book. A touch of pink dusted across his cheekbones and the tips of his ears. Her cheeks ached from her smile and giddiness settled into her bones. It was as if her heart was a balloon and it was floating up, up, and up, into a sky painted with fluffy white clouds. She snuggled closer into her spot, propping her book up once more, and letting the words drift her away into the world of <em>Ruin and Romance</em>.</p><p>Unbeknownst to her, Caleb’s gaze left his book once more. His eyes trailed across the bridge of her freckled nose to the point of her chin. Her blue skin illuminated by the light he had conjured giving the illusion of her face bathed in flickering candlelight. She looked soft, comfortable, and completely at ease despite the skirmish they had just gone through. The idea that she could feel at ease around <em>someone like him</em>. A clammy sweat began on his palms. He flexed his bandaged hands and tried to shake away the feeling.</p><p>He knew exactly for how long he stared at her (approximately two minutes, thirty-five seconds) and he caught the slow blink of her eyes, the fatigue that drew across her delicate features.</p><p>He swallowed, “Jester?”</p><p>“Yes?” She murmured as her head fell against his shoulder.</p><p>“I’ll take the rest of the watch. Get some rest.”</p><p>“You’re kind of bony, <em>Cayleb</em>.” Her accent was thicker when she was sleepy. It was…It was…cute. Endearing, even.</p><p>“I believe that means I am not comfortable to lie on.” He said, unable to bring himself to jostle her. A strand of dark blue hair fell into her face and it fluttered gently with each exhale she made. Her chest steadily rose and fell like the slow lapping of waves against the shore. Her book had fallen, forgotten, into her lap. The neuropathways inside his mind were alight, firing off synapses like the snap of his fingers, embedding this moment into his memory; Every thread stitched on her skirt and cloak, every freckle on her face, the shape of her nailbeds, the part to her lips, the silver pointed symbol clasped at her chest.</p><p>Caleb looked up into the sky. <em>Oh, you are in trouble.</em> He found himself doing that more often lately. If only the stars above held the answers like in Jester’s book. He closed his eyes, sending a quick mental command to Frumpkin as his head leaned against the rock wall behind him, <em>‘Keep watch’. </em></p><p>Frumpkin made a ‘<em>brrr-up</em>’ noise as he jumped over Caleb’s legs and padded over to the edge of their camp set-up. His tail curled around his hind legs as he sat, straight backed and alert, his wide ears listening to the sounds of the river water and bats flying overhead.</p><p><em>You should not do this. You don’t deserve it. You aren’t meant to have it. Move her away…the sooner you create distance, the better for both of you. You can’t fuck this up, Caleb.</em> <em>The world is relying on you. There is a reason for the rules. A reason for the <strong>oath</strong> you took.</em></p><p>Yet, with Jester’s head on his shoulder, the side of her face pressing into his arm – all the usual arguments were flimsy, like tossing paper into the water. He, very tentatively, let his cheek fall to the top of her head. She smelled sweet, like spun sugar, like honey blossoms, like springtime.</p><p><em>Tomorrow. </em>He promised himself. <em>Tomorrow. You will refocus. You will create distance. Being her friend…it is not an option. It won’t end well. You cannot afford attachments. Tomorrow. Create space…tomorrow…</em></p><p>With that last, fleeting though, Caleb let his mind lull into blackness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was supposed to be a Jester-only chapter where I was only inside her head…but then I was like YEARNING!CALEB SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!!! </p><p>Fun fact – I rolled for the combats. Like initiative, all that, and picked the enemy at random through (Sam voice) D AND D BEYOND!! Based on the creature being in a mountain environment. And you won’t believe this but Beau and Caleb both rolled NATURAL ONES on their initiative. I was like “wow…damn….my dice are cursed dice.” </p><p>Hopefully the combat was easy to read/understand/and interesting to experience lol. </p><p>I am going to save all my encounter sheets because it’ll be funny to look at when it’s completed. So, if you’re curious, I’m using their level 5-character sheets for abilities/spells. I will have them level-up as I see fit from a narrative standpoint.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Pride's Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SURPRISE SHAWTY. IM STILL WRITING THIS. I have the outline pretty much done, but I took a break so I could finish some other WIP first. </p><p>CW: there are some mentions of gagging/nausea. Not sure if that is a trigger for some people, so if it's a trigger for you, the first mention is after "the abandoned mine shaft."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>Eugh</em>!” Beau pinched her nostrils and her fingertips dug into the flesh of her cheek. “It smells like death.”</p><p>Caleb turned his eyes to the rising column of black, putrid smoke rising above the township of Pride’s Call.</p><p>“That’s because it is.” He kicked his spurs into the horse and galloped head of Jester and Beau.</p><p>Beau’s stomach rolled once more. She shot a wary glance to Jester before following Caleb.</p><p>Fallen Dwarven soldiers lying face down in the mud, others on their backs – their faces white, staring up into nothingness. Crows circled overhead, crying out, as others perched on the corpses and plucked their beaks into their pale, blue-gray flesh.</p><p>Beau’s horse whined, flicking its mane back and forth, and Beau patted the creature’s strong neck. Caleb adjusted his scarf, pulling it around his mouth and nose to block the foul stench of decay and rot.</p><p>The city of Pride’s Call was built atop and within a cluster of large hills that wrapped around the base of the Cyrios Mountains. It was a sturdy, stocky sort of place. If the armor and weapons shown by the deceased dwarves were anything to go by – Pride’s Call was defended fiercely by its inhabitants.</p><p>Jester tightened her grip around her reins, “Traveler. I really hope you’re with us right now.” She muttered under her breath as she followed Beau and Caleb into the city.</p><p>It only became <em>worse</em> from there.</p><p>The majority of dwarves of Pride’s Call walked with scarves or wraps around their faces, blocking their noses and mouths, their eyes darting suspiciously toward the newcomers. Many shoppes were locked up, their windows closed tight despite the mildly warm day, and an eerie silence carried through the city. Being from and living within Nicodranas – Jester was <em>used to</em> the noise. Be it the sailors down by the docks, people visiting The Lavish Chateau, or merchants selling their wares on the streets.</p><p>Yet, Pride’s Call was as quiet as a grave. And the stench of smoke - acrid and unyielding – made Jester’s eyes water.</p><p>“We are here on official business held between the Assembly and the Cobalt Soul.” Caleb explained to the guard who stopped them on their way to the Vigil Borough.</p><p>Caleb pulled a talisman from his coat pocket, three diamond shapes pointed upward with eight spires that curled underneath them. The symbol glowed with a glyph for a moment – a swirl of blue energy enveloping it – and the crownsguard looked at Caleb, Beau, and Jester before nodding.</p><p>“I’ll take you to him.” The dwarven crownsguard said with a gruff note to his voice, “Though, I’m afraid you won’t get what you need here.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Beau asked, her voice muffled slightly by the scarf of azure that wrapped around her head.</p><p>“It’ll be better if he tells you.” The dwarf replied with a noncommittal shrug. Caleb shot a glance over to Beau. Pride’s Call was their first stop on their journey. The only place that had <em>successfully</em> crafted the artifact they needed.</p><p>He nervously scratched at his bandages under his coat.</p><p>The Sarosta’s hall was richly decorated in warm hues of amber and dark wood and slate-gray stone. The braziers hung chained from the ceilings, the flames flickering and warming the chambers, while crownsguard lined and guarded each exit and entryway. Caleb made note that most of the defense was here, within the hall, rather than out patrolling the city.</p><p>“I present: Starosta Ghuldi Demosk.” The crownsguard announced with a fist to his heavy, metal chest.</p><p>Ghuldi Demosk sat in a gold and silver wrought chair, the metal bending and twisting and folding, and as the flames cast shadows upon it. It gave to the illusion that the chair itself was still being forged. He wore a breastplate and greaves, but his hands were decorated with rings and gemstones, his long, white beard in a single heavy, braid.</p><p>The elderly, wrinkled dwarf stared off into the distance as they approached. The crownsguard looked at them and cleared his throat.</p><p>“I present: Starosta Ghuldi Demosk.” He repeated and Ghuldi blinked rapidly before looking down at them from his seat.  </p><p>“Aye. More adventurers looking to help us?” Ghuldi gave a flick of his wrist, “Tell the King that Pride’s Call does not need <em>green</em> <em>mercenaries</em>.”</p><p>“Actually,” Beau took a slight step forward, and the crownsguard immediately reacted – touching the hilts of swords or the trigger of crossbows, “Jesus. <em>Alright</em>.”</p><p>She glanced over to Caleb. There were reports that Ghuldi Demosk grew paranoid in his old age. Turns out, those reports were right.</p><p>“We’re not here to kill you.” Jester blurted out, before pointing at Caleb, “Don’t you know who we are?”</p><p>“Mercenaries,” Ghuldi said. His tone was flat. Unyielding. His eyes, bagged and wrinkled, glazed over as he stared – unseeing – to the hall beyond their heads.</p><p>“We come for Moradin’s Gift.” Caleb replied, watching the Sarosta’s expression. Ghuldi slowly returned to attention.</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>“It is gone.”</p><p>Beau’s jaw dropped, “What? <em>Gone</em> as in destroyed? <em>Gone</em> as in you put it in a junk drawer at home and can’t find it?”</p><p>“We were attacked.” Ghuldi sighed, his fists curled, “We had no choice but to burn our dead. It’s not our custom. But…they were corrupted. We had no choice.” His voice drifted off, “no choice at all.”</p><p>He blinked, “We lost our grain stores to rats already. Bastards. We should’ve known that was an omen to what would come.”</p><p>Ghuldi gave a vague motion with his hand and a servant approached with a tankard. He took a slow, deep swallow and his face went sour.</p><p>“They took it. Moradin’s Gift. Doubt they knew what it was.” He shook his head, “They took so much.”</p><p>“Fuck.” Beau muttered under her breath.</p><p>“Can you make a new one?” Jester asked, her coat sleeve brushing against Caleb’s, “A new Moradin’s Gift or whatever?”</p><p>Ghuldi snorted, “It can only be crafted on lunar eclipse with ore mined from deep within Mount Mentiri. So. <strong><em>No</em></strong>. We cannot create a new one.”</p><p>He sighed heavily, as if the breath weighed him, “And by the time another eclipse occurs – well – the Fiend will have made ash and bones of us all.”</p><p>His watery eyes landed on Caleb, a small flicker of hope within them, “We hired someone to find it. They’ll get the job done. I suggest you wait here…” He gestured with his tankard, “The water has gone bad, but we still have ale.”</p><p>Beau’s eyes narrowed – “Who did you hire?” She asked.</p><p>Ghuldi didn’t answer. He stared into his tankard as if deep in thought.</p><p>The crownsguard who escorted them into the hall looked up at Beau, “I can bring you to Watchmaster Hildas. She’s the one who hired the lass and knows where she sent her off to.”</p><p>“Works for me.” Beau looked at Caleb and Jester, “Unless you prefer to hang out here with old Ghuldi?”</p><p>Caleb gave a final, parting look to the old dwarf on his twisted throne. He followed Beau and Jester out back into a city clouded with deadmans’ ash.</p><p>Jester looked over her shoulder, at Caleb, and she intentionally slowed her pace by a half-step so she could walk alongside him.</p><p>“Soooo.” She dragged the word out, “What’s this Moradin’s Gift? Is it like a super-powerful Warhammer that’s gonna break all of the Arch Demon’s teeth?”</p><p>She mimed holding a weapon and then swinging it. Her face pinched in a dramatic grimace behind her scarf.</p><p>She couldn’t tell if Caleb smiled, but his blue eyes warmed imperceptibly.  </p><p>“It’s –“ He rubbed his thumb against the side of his hand, “A magical item that is capable of teleporting several creatures to a pocket dimension.”</p><p> “Huh.” Jester clasped her hands behind her back as she walked, “So, we absolutely need it, right?”</p><p>Caleb nodded, “Ja. We do. Mages have tried to use the Banishment spell, but the World-Eater <em>always</em> breaks free or resists the spell…the only way it can be killed is within the place between our worlds.”</p><p>Jester worried her lower lip between her teeth.</p><p>“Why doesn’t the Assembly just keep it around? Or the Cobalt Soul? I’m sure they’ve got a treasury – yeah? So, why make us go all this way?”</p><p>“The artifact is destroyed with the World-Eater.” He glanced over to Jester, “So, each time the Fiend is defeated, they mine their ore, and wait for the exact moment of the eclipse to build and enchant it all over again. It’s an arduous process, or so I’ve read, and even skilled smiths have failed at its creation. We are lucky that we manage to get a single one within ten years.”</p><p>“Jeez.” She adjusted the scarf around her face, “That’s a lot of pressure.”</p><p>“This way – please.” The crownsguard opened the wooden door for them, inclining his head to the low-ceiling room within.</p><p>***</p><p>Watchmaster Hildas looked up from a map of Pride’s Call and its surrounding lands. Her dark hair pulled back into a severe bun with a slight five-o-clock shadow against her jaw. She gave them a once-over with her perceptive, golden-colored eyes.</p><p>“Ah.” She straightened to her full, four-foot height, “More mercenaries, then?”</p><p>“Goddamn,” Beau rubbed the back of her neck, “No one gets the memo around here, huh?”</p><p>Jester snickered.</p><p>“No, Watchmaster. They’d like to follow the tall, scary one we hired this morn’.”</p><p>“I see no swords at your sides.” She scratched at her shadowed jaw, followed by another once-over with her peculiar eyes, “Are you sure you can handle it?”</p><p>“I hit things with my fist so hard they explode,” Beau jerked her thumb at Caleb, “He can make things explode,” She pointed to Jester, “And she can summon massive, dangerous lollipops out of thin air. So – uh – yeah. I think we can handle it.”</p><p>Hildas ran her tongue across her teeth, glancing to the crownsguard that escorted them, “Did the Serasota approve it?”</p><p>Caleb sighed, but then clenched his jaw. “Must he?”</p><p>Jester chimed in, “Yeah, he was like, kinda—” She wiggled her fingers, “Out of it.”</p><p>“We’re wasting time.” Beau folded her arms across her chest, “Tell us where she went.”</p><p>Hildas exhaled slowly. Caleb had the distinct feeling that she sent many of her own out only to have them not return and that hiring a mercenary was more a necessity so they wouldn’t lose more of their own, rather than because the city itself was flush with gold.</p><p>“An old mining shaft. You’ll see it if you exit through the south end,” Hildas pointed at her map, “That’s where we saw some of the Skaven carrying our dead. We believe their base is within those abandoned mines.”</p><p>She swallowed, “If you happen to find anyone – e-even if it’s just their bones…I would reward it. They deserve a proper funeral.”</p><p>“We will.” Jester said.</p><p>“Skaven?” Caleb’s eyes flickered over to Beau, “A settlement like this - it’s not their natural territory. They usually live within sewers. Are you certain?”</p><p>“I know what I saw,” Hildas then dropped her voice to a perfect impression of a Zemnian accent, “<em>I am</em> <em>certain</em>.”  </p><p>Beauregard’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.</p><p>She cleared her throat and her voice returned to normal, “Our grain storages were infested with rats. That was the first omen. Our people began to fall ill. We were forced to quarantine sections of residential neighborhoods. A few days later, we were ambushed, and well—” She pressed her lips together, “I am sure you saw the results of my failure as you rode in.”</p><p> “The woman you hired. She was alone?” Beau asked.</p><p>“She was.” Hildas nodded, “She seemed plenty capable though. She carried two swords.”</p><p>“A sword doesn’t guarantee—you know what—never mind.” Beau’s nostrils flared, “Caleb. Jester. Let’s go.”</p><p>Once they were out of the barracks, Jester looked at Beau and Caleb, “That was a pretty good impression of Caleb, wasn’t it?”</p><p>Caleb’s lips twitched as he pulled his scarf back up, “I suppose.”</p><p>“Come on—!” Beau was already several paces ahead and she distractedly waved her arm to beckon them to hurry the hell up. Jester and Caleb nodded to one another before lightly jogging to catch up to Beauregard and allow her to lead the way – with some directional help from Caleb – back out in the rolling, green hills of Pride’s Call.</p><p>***</p><p>The abandoned mine shaft smelled <em>worse</em> than the acrid, smoky, and putrid scent that clogged the air around Pride’s Call. Beauregard and Jester found themselves gagging through the first leg of the journey into the mine. The saliva built up at the back of their throat and their stomachs twisted uncomfortably until they had no choice but to shove their hands over their mouths and try to quietly dry heave without revealing their presence. Caleb by faith or fortune managed to keep his breakfast in his gut, but the foul stench only increased the deeper they traveled, with Caleb’s single globe of light to guide them.</p><p>Jester pinched her nose and pushed down another wave of nausea. They carefully snuck across the loose gravel and stone as the skittering of rat claws echoed through the chamber.</p><p>“Up ahead.” Beau stopped short. Caleb extinguished his magical light. The narrow passageway opened to a cavern, broken mine carts littering the scene, with three Skavens huddled around a small fire. The creatures were rat-like in their appearance, with thick brown fur covering their humanoid bodies, long tails, and drool dripping from their elongated maw filled with sharp, yellowed teeth.</p><p>One sniffed the air, making Beau tense up, but then resumed sharpening his rusted short sword.</p><p>“I got this.” Jester whispered, carefully moving a step closer, so she was right next to Beau. She clutched the symbol of the Traveler, felt the <em>energy</em> of wildflowers and summertime and giggling with her Mama, and when Jester’s eyes reopened – they glowed with a faint, pink color. The incantation finished and a large, silver bell appeared above the Skaven’s head.</p><p>It rang out – the sound haunting and endless – causing the Skaven to screech and cover their ears. Out of the three, one managed to shake it off, while the other two hissed and convulsed as the sound of the bell echoed through their skull.</p><p>The one who managed to avoid Jester’s attack stood to its full height and pointed at them – “Intruders! Thieves!”</p><p>“Oh, boy.” Caleb muttered under his breath, clutched at the leather strap secured around his thigh, and arcane energy swirled around his body – the magic a verdant green as if it were blending with Jester’s recently cast spell.  </p><p>Beau rushed forward, meeting the Skaven’s halfway before they could lash out at Jester <em>or</em> Caleb. She swung her staff, but the Skaven blocked it with his short sword. The Skaven let out a high-pitched, cackling laugh. Their eyes yellow with red pupils and an oozing, greenish puss collecting at the corners.</p><p>The second launched forward, his teeth gleaming wet, his breath worse than a grave – Beau kicked her knee up before its teeth could sink into her flesh and her foot crashed down on the Skaven’s neck. A resounding <strong>crack</strong><em>! </em>echoed through the chamber<em>.</em></p><p>As Beau lifted her foot off his neck, it was clear she had broken it, and the creature now laid lifeless at her feet.</p><p>“God. These fuckers are <em>gross</em>.” Beau said as she slid a step backward, her focus still on the Skaven in front of her. “What is it with us fighting <em>gross</em> things?”</p><p>“Just lucky, I guess,” Caleb replied with a wry smile.</p><p>The Skaven by the fire seemed to assess the situation – seeing one ally dead, another facing three enemies, and he let out a chittering sound before backing away.</p><p>“He could alert the whole nest!” Beau said as the Skaven drew back his short sword and slashed Beau’s forearm.</p><p>“Okay. Okay. Okay.” Jester scanned the room.</p><p>“Ow, fuck!” Beau hissed in surprise as the blood ran down and dripped from her elbow. The Skaven – emboldened by the hit or bloodlust driven – snapped at Beauregard. The first bite narrowly missed her injured arm, but the second did not. Its long, grotesque teeth scraped against Beau’s arm wraps and it drew back, licking away the blood, with a crazed look in its eyes.</p><p>“Beau!” Caleb had moved along the side of the room, planning for the best angle for his spell. Yet, there was true terror in his voice when he saw that Beauregard was bleeding. Because these <em>things</em> – they were known for carrying diseases and infections. It was their <em>specialty</em>. If they could destroy a fully grown dwarf in steel plate armor, then there was no telling what their bite could do to his unarmored friend. No matter how fearsome her punches were.</p><p>With her heart pounding, Jester narrowed her eyes, and focused as a duplicated image of herself came to life in front of the fleeing Skaven just before he disappeared into the mouth of the next tunnel. The Skaven yelped and drew its sword with a wild, frenzied look about the room.</p><p>“I’m fine!” Beau said before she kicked the Skaven in the stomach, forcing it to double-over, and then struck it once more in the jaw. She shook her hand, the force of impact smarting her knuckles, looked to Caleb, “Get the leader. I’ve got this one.”</p><p>Caleb swallowed, the smell of death and decay filling his nostrils before he spun his focus back to the fleeing Skaven. He threw his arm out, the campfire illuminated behind him, and a mote of fire burst from his fingertips. The flame shot out, dancing and flickering, before it impacted the Skaven’s back with a flash of light and heat.</p><p>The Skaven shuddered with its arms waving wildly. The smell of burning, rotten flesh and fur creating another unpleasant aroma in the air. It collapsed to the ground, shrieking, and Caleb was about to tell his companions that it was still <em>alive </em>when a large shadow stepped through Jester’s duplicate, raised a sword, and sank it into the Skaven’s chest with a <em>squelch</em> of bone, blood, and muscle. The woman slowly stepped forward into the meager light provided by the campfire. Her sword returned to its sheath on her back and her mismatched gaze scanned the room before falling upon their party.</p><p>Beau exhaled, pressing her hand to the injury on her forearm, “Yasha.”</p><p>“Yasha?” Caleb repeated, dumfounded.</p><p>“Whose Yasha?” Jester peered over Beau’s shoulder, “Friend of yours?”</p><p>“Something like that.” Beau gave a half shrug, “Though, I don’t know why she didn’t <em>wait</em> for me in town like we talked about.”</p><p>Yasha looked to the bodies of the dead Skaven they just fought and the swollen corpses of Dwarves, “They needed help.”</p><p>“Still could’ve waited.” She huffed.</p><p>“Wait—Beauregard—” Caleb’s eyes darted back and forth, to Beau, to Yasha, “You spoke of a Yasha before—"</p><p>“Oh! Beau! You’re bleeding!” Jester placed her hand on Beau’s arm, “This is what I’m here for, right?” The magical energy swirled around Beau’s arm as her wounds sealed together and left only a light scar behind. Beau flexed her elbow and grinned with a small thanks to Jester. Yasha cautiously approached until she stood beside them, her eyes scanning Beauregard for any other injuries, but finding none her shoulders seemed to relax.</p><p>Jester’s words dislodged something in Caleb’s memory. A question he was unable to ask during the thick of battle.</p><p>“Beauregard, I saw it bite you—are you feeling alright? Any dizziness?” He scanned her face, watching her annoyed yet bemused expression as she lazily glanced over to him,  “How many fingers am I holding up?”  </p><p> Caleb held up his middle finger. Jester snorted a laugh.</p><p>Beauregard lifted up her middle finger in response, “Just one, Widogast.”</p><p>Caleb dropped his hand, “Jokes aside. You are alright?”</p><p>“Yup.” Beau rolled her neck and shoulders, “Let’s finish this before I almost throw up again.”</p><p>***</p><p>They followed the trail of bodies and bones and the sound of rats climbing on the walls. The mining shaft had clearly been abandoned due to cave-ins as many of the other pathways were now blocked off with rubble.</p><p>Any Skaven they ran into, they made quick work of, between the four of them. They had started to obtain a rhythm to their fighting with Beauregard and Yasha headlining defense while Caleb and Jester focused on ranged attacks. But no matter how well they fought off the mobs, Caleb couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was waiting for them in the depths of this place.</p><p>And unfortunately, he was right.</p><p>As he theorized - the Skaven needed some type of hierarchy, a leader to coordinate the attack, because that was the <em>only</em> way they could possibly ambush a place like Pride’s Call. This Skaven was dressed in robes of muddied brown and dark mossy green, with small adornments of animal bones around his waist and neck, and a scythe between his clawed hands.</p><p>“There it is.” Caleb said, his eyes trained on the artifact, sitting like trash among bones and discarded weapons and armor they pilfered form the dwarves.</p><p>“Oh.” The Skaven Priest lifted his head, sniffing the air, “Fresh blood. Fresh meat. Come to the slaughter?”</p><p>Yasha drew her blade, “Does he think he’s talking about us?”</p><p>The Skaven Priest chuckled, a grating and sickening sound before he opened both his arms and a swarm of reeking, greenish clouded smoke unfurled from his sleeves.</p><p>“Cover your mouths!” Caleb yelled before the smoke filled the chamber with supernatural speed.  The warning came at a cost – however. Caleb doubled over, his eyes watering, as the noxious fumes entered his lungs and threatened to cripple him.</p><p>Blindly, he reached out and grabbed Jester’s shoulder. He could feel her trembling beneath the palm of his hand. Even if he wanted to speak – he could not. He felt her hand reach up and clutch his forearm and squeezed it weakly. He squeezed her shoulder in response.</p><p><em>We are with you. </em>He wanted to tell her; <em>I am with you.</em></p><p>Vaguely, Caleb was aware of Beauregard and Yasha coughing, but even through his tears – he could see their shadowed forms moving closer to the priest.</p><p>Jester tugged on his forearm and he stumbled, following her, blurry-eyed and shivering as another onslaught of nausea overtook him.  Jester pulled him, nearly <em>carried</em> him until they crumpled against the far wall of the cavern.</p><p>Caleb gasped, spit leaking from the corners of his mouth, his cheeks wet with tears and his skin sticky with sweat. He knew without looking that Jester was no better. He coughed violently and his lungs <em>burned</em>.</p><p>It was the smoke.</p><p>It was the smoke from the fire.</p><p><em>His</em> <em>parents</em>.</p><p>Caleb squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to go back in there. He had to <em>save</em> them. He greedily inhaled the clean air, the fresh air from outside, he would take one big breath and he would go back in. He would brave the smoke and falling, wooden beams. Damn anyone who would try to stop him. Damn them all. Damn them and their godforsaken lies. He <em>could</em> save them. He would burn his hands through the rubble, save them, and then come back for Trent. He only needed to take a deep breath. If only he could just <em>breathe</em>!</p><p>“Cay-leb.” Cold hands pressed to his flushed cheeks, “<strong><em>Caleb</em></strong>!” Her voice felt far-away as if his head was underwater. But that wasn’t <em>right</em>. He wasn’t underwater. And his name? His name was--He was—he was—</p><p>“Caleb!”</p><p>His eyes sprang open, and his vision filled with Jester. Her bangs plastered to her damp forehead, the whites of her eyes bloodshot, and at the corner of her mouth – a thin, watery trickle of blood and saliva.</p><p>Caleb, exposed and flayed alive with the memory of his parents, blindly reached out and wiped the blood away with the pad of his thumb. It smeared onto his skin. Immediately, he was hit with the shame of his actions. He had no reason, no <em>true</em> reason,  to touch her. He was not a healer. His hands fisted at his side.</p><p>“Jester?” He blinked rapidly, his mind slowly connecting the pieces, and forcing him into the present day. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“Woozy, but I’m alright. Are you okay?” Her eyebrows pitched upward, her lower lip only stopped its trembling due to her catching it with her fangs, “Caleb - you were screaming.”</p><p>She swallowed and then – remembering - “I can heal you.”</p><p>“No.” Caleb gently pushed her hands away and off his face, “No, thank you. I’m alright. We need to help Beauregard and Yasha.”</p><p>He slid against the craggy, stone-carved wall and peered over Jester’s shoulder to the clouded fog of noxious gas that he and Jester escaped from. He could see shadowed shapes, but nothing more. He could not risk sending a fireball or something into it without hurting one of his own.</p><p>“Fuck.” Caleb ground his teeth, “I cannot – I cannot see them.”</p><p>“Will it pass?” Jester turned to look within the fog, “Can we dispel it?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” He clenched and unclenched his hands,  “I can try.”</p><p>“If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else…” Jester said, her focus on the shadows fighting in the fog, “We won’t leave them.”</p><p>Caleb nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. The energy of the spell glowed around his fingers as he traced the arcane symbols into the air. The leftover sting from the fumes burned at the back of his throat, but he pushed through the incantation.  </p><p>The sickly colored fog surged upward, toward the ceiling, before it dispersed in a shockwave of air.</p><p>“Let’s go!” Jester ran forward– before he could tell her to hang back. She was their <em>cleric</em>. She shouldn’t be at the front lines. But Jester was already slamming both her palms forward and summoning her great, giant lollipop of a weapon in a burst of rose-tinted energy.  </p><p>Caleb pressed his palm to his racing heart and followed Jester into the fray.</p><p>As Jester’s weapon hit the Skaven Priest, he watched Beauregard leap off from the flat of Yasha’s blade, and swing down her staff with a roar of fury. The wooden staff cracked – <em>hard</em> – against the Skaven’s skull and the creature stumbled to its knees.</p><p>The Skaven hissed – and as Beauregard landed in front of him – it reached its grotesque clawed hand outward as if to grab her, and a puff of that same noxious gas released into Beau’s face. She coughed and reeled backward.</p><p>Her blue eyes watered as they met Caleb’s and she gave him a weak thumbs up.</p><p>“If poison can’t kill this <em>rat</em>, then traps will have to do.” He said with an icy, unforgiving edge to his voice. Caleb clutched a small piece of iron. Suddenly, invisible, arcane chains wrapped around the Skaven and held it in place. The Skaven screamed, eyes wild, and futilely strained against the bonds.</p><p>Yasha stepped forward and lifted her great sword above her head. She slammed it down, her face impassive, and removed the Skaven’s head from its shoulders. It rolled a few feet away and the body slumped unceremoniously to the dirt and bone-strewn floor.</p><p>Caleb sagged forward, pressing his palms to his knees, as the magical energy he expended in fighting finally hit the limit.</p><p>“Everyone OK?” Jester asked, stepping forward as they all came together in a semi-circle around the body.</p><p>“Mostly.” Beauregard wiped her nose, “Caleb?”</p><p>He waved a hand, not looking up from the dirt, “Ja, Ja, I am just…catching my breath.”</p><p>Beau walked over to the pile of bones and treasure and plucked Moradin’s Gift from the pile of coin that the Skaven’s had stolen. It was no bigger than the palm of her hand, heavier than a ball bearing, and inlaid with Dwarvish Runes on the reddish-brassy surface. She squinted her eyes in the darkness and turned the artifact over in her fingers.</p><p>
  <em>Blood given. Door opened. Soul given. Door closed. </em>
</p><p>“Well,” She tossed it into the air and caught it, “We got what we came for. Let’s get the hell out of here.”</p><p>**</p><p>There were no survivors within the caverns, but Jester kept her word, and she and Yasha hauled some of the bodies onto a mining cart and pushed it out together. Two were crownsguard, but the third appeared to be a blacksmith.</p><p>It was Hildas who greeted them at the gate with a company of crownsguard – “Thank you.” She gave them a once over, her eyes lingering on Caleb a second longer than he would’ve preferred, as they reported their findings and the successful defeat of the Skaven Priest who likely orchestrated the attack.</p><p>“You’ve done us a great service and I’ll be sure that the Serasota hears of it.” She gestured to the city behind her, “If you head to the Tillers borough, you’ll find that rooms and drink have been set up for you at the Weaver’s Inn. Orin’s the innkeep. He’ll be expecting you.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Caleb pushed forward, eager to find a bed, and eager to be away from Watchmaster Hildas’ narrowed golden eyes. He felt raw and barren from his exposure to the painful, toxic gas that the Skaven released. His throat ached, his fingers kept twitching, and he prayed that the Weaver’s Inn might have a bath he could soak into to wash the sickly feeling from his skin.</p><p>“Hey—” Beau jogged to catch up to him, “Don’t you want to celebrate? You remember what the grumpy old dude said, right? Their ale is still good.”</p><p>Caleb shook his head.</p><p>“Okay.” She glanced back at Jester and Yasha, following behind, who appeared to be getting along in a light conversation, “Well, we won’t be far if you change your mind – alright? I still <em>technically</em> have to guard your ass.”</p><p>She nudged her shoulder against his. Caleb spared her a slight, weak around the edges smile.</p><p>“I will not go far either, Beauregard.” He looked up at the clear, bright, blue sky.</p><p>“Hey…” Beau lowered her voice, whispering so Yasha and Jester couldn’t hear, “You and me, till the end, right?”</p><p>“Till the very end.” He agreed softly with a small nod.</p><p>***</p><p>Jester watched with a smile as Beauregard and Yasha drank deeply and regaled Jester with the story of their meeting. Beauregard had been tracking down a cult known as the Angel of Irons for the Cobalt Soul. After months and months, researching and collecting information and beating up cultists, she met Yasha. They journeyed together and eventually through strife, tears, drama, and near-death experiences,  became allies, then friends, to girlfriends.</p><p>Beau was only separated from her due to the Cobalt Soul calling her back to join Caleb.</p><p>“They’re kinda fucking pushy but they’re also like – <em>weird</em> – about who they let use the teleportation circles, you know? So…they teleported my ass to go meet up with Caleb a few months before we left and met you, so me and Yasha—” She nodded toward her girlfriend, “We came up with a plan to meet in Pride’s Call. It’s less crowded than the port cities and she stands out around here. Easier to find.”</p><p>“We made a promise a long time ago to always find each other.” Yasha said quietly, her gaze dropping down to her drink.</p><p>Jester placed her chin in her hands, “That’s romantic.”</p><p>Beau snorted, but there was a telltale flush to her cheeks, “Sure.” She leaned back in her chair, “What about you, Jess?”</p><p>“Oh.” Jester blushed, “Well, I never left Nicodranas before. I told you that.”</p><p>“Yeah, but like, did you have boyfriends? Girlfriends? Or do you have someone—I know you and Caleb both like reading those smut books.”</p><p>Jester shook her head.</p><p>“Oh shit.” Beau’s brow lifted, “I mean. That’s cool. It’s whatever man, I mean, relationships? Psshh.” She glanced at Yasha, “No offense?”</p><p>“No – no I mean like—you know – It’s like. Okay.” Jester sat up straight, “There’s this guy, okay? I’ve told you about him. He’s my friend. He’s like…<em>pretty</em> <em>handsome</em>…but he’s away a lot…so we don’t really get to hang out that much, but I send him messages like <em>every day</em>. And he’s always like ‘Oh wow Jester! You’re so cool! That’s so awesome! I am like totally jealous of your cool adventures’, you know?” She grinned, “And once I get back to Nicodranas, who knows, right? Like, maybe I’ll even be able to go on an adventure with him. I’m already like <em>way</em> stronger than he is.”</p><p>Beau laughed, “That’s awesome.” She pushed away her empty mug, her gaze drifting to the stairwell, where the rooms were housed. “I really hope you get to do that.”</p><p>“Yeah!” Jester perked up, “What are you going to do once we defeat the big ugly evil mean guy?”</p><p>Beau chuckled, drumming her fingertips against the pewter mug, “I dunno. I haven’t given it much thought.” She looked to Yasha, “Stick with this one, I know that much.”</p><p>“Hey! Maybe you can come on Fjord’s boat with me!” She leaned forward, the grin hurting her cheeks, “We can be pirates! Aarrhhh!”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know, Jester.” Yasha smiled slightly, “I think we’d make terrible pirates. None of us even have eye patches.”</p><p>And so, Jester steered the conversation to happier, sillier topics. She steered it away from the distant friendship/crush with Fjord that she tried so hard to keep, away from the aching feeling of missing her Mama and knowing she didn’t have the energy to send her any messages today, and away from the sad, forlorn look that crossed Beauregard’s face when she looked to Caleb’s room – even though Jester didn’t know <em>why</em> – after all, Caleb was safe, if shaken, from their encounter in the mine. They got the artifact they needed. They saved Pride’s Call from an infectious plague of Skaven.</p><p> Today, of all days, should count as a victory.</p><p>Yet, each time Beau looked toward Caleb’s room – Jester had the growing feeling that today was a defeat.</p><p>***</p><p>The morning came with new funeral pyres built, a fresh wave of crownsguard patrolling and clearing through the quarantined spaces, and the businesses tentatively starting to reopen their doors. Pride’s Call would return to their normal lives, hour by hour, day by day, until the horror of the attack was just a memory or a terrifying bedtime story to scare little Dwarven children into going to sleep.</p><p>Jester rocked on her heels outside Caleb’s room with the book hidden behind her back.</p><p>“Caleb!”</p><p>“Je-Jester?!” His face turned beet red, “Wh-where—what are you doing outside my room?”</p><p>“Waiting for you. Obviously.” Jester smiled and stepped forward and thrust both her arms outward, the book captured between her hands, the unknown sigil embossed on the front. “Here.”</p><p>“Wh…” Caleb swallowed, “What’s this?” His brows scrunched together as he peered at the cover, “I-I recognize this.”</p><p>“Okay, so, last night, I couldn’t sleep. I asked Orin if there were any bookstores, you know? Because like we only found a few books when we were in Port Demali and I thought maybe a new book might cheer you up. <em>Buuuut</em> – Orin said there aren’t bookstores here. So, like, that was a bummer, right? But then I remembered that I got this in Port Demali for you!”</p><p>His eyes lifted from the book and met her face, “This book was two hundred and fifty gold.”</p><p>Jester pressed her lips together, her tail swishing back and forth behind her, “I may have <em>borrowed</em> it.”</p><p>“Jester!” Caleb looked down the hallway, both ways, but they were alone. No crownsguard were about to appear from the Nether and arrest them both. She took a sneaky step forward, so close that her skirts brushed against the edges of his robes and peered up at Caleb.</p><p>“It could be like our thing.” Jester whispered conspiratorially. The book pressed against her chest, warmed by her heart, the teal color contrasting with her green cloak. Not that Caleb was entirely paying attention to <em>that</em>. All the neurons in his brain were firing at rapid speed to keep his breath at a normal, ordinary pace and his <em>accursed</em> memory kept reminding him of Jester’s closeness within the caverns, the pleasant feeling of her hands cradling his face, the solidness of her grip on his forearm as they stumbled blindly to temporary safety together.</p><p>Even if the moments afterward had been <em>hell</em> – the moments of Jester were blessed, fractures of light bleeding through the darkness.</p><p>“Our…thing?” Caleb repeated, his expression bemused and a little flustered at Jester’s close proximity.</p><p>“What? <em>Stealing</em> books?”</p><p>“No, silly.” She shook her head, “Each place we visit – we can check for a bookstore together, okay? Deal?”</p><p>Caleb stamped down on his desire to say yes.</p><p>“Beauregard likes to read as well.”</p><p>Jester shrugged, “She can come too, if she wants, but I’m preeetty sure if the choices are between making out with her hot barbarian girlfriend or digging through old bookstores with us…she’s gonna choose Yasha.”</p><p>Caleb chuckled softly, “You are underestimating how much of a nerd she is.”</p><p>She laughed with him, biting her lip, and looking away, before holding the book out once more.</p><p> “It’s for you, Caleb.”</p><p>This time, Caleb did take it.</p><p>“Thank you, Jester.” He bowed his head toward hers, his heart thundering in his ears, and lowered his voice to a whisper, “Please don’t steal any more magic books though. I’d have to break you out of prison.”</p><p>Jester scrunched her nose with a smile, “Okay, but <em>only</em> because you asked nicely. Shall we go?”</p><p>“Ja. I am sure they are waiting for us.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Writing Widojest feels good. Feels organic. </p><p>Some NPCs are from Wildemount, others I made up, I think everyone here is made up. I can't remember. Did you have fun reading? let me know LOL OK BYE</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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